The present invention generally relates to rail car moving vehicles adapted for travel on rail wheels to move one or more rail cars on a railway track and, more particularly, to weight transfer rail traction rail car moving vehicles, namely, vehicles capable of developing, when coupled to a rail car, a tractive effort greatly in excess of the tractive effort attributable to their own weight through the transfer of weight from a rail car coupled thereto. In this regard, this invention is specifically directed to a unique rail car moving vehicle capable of traveling on separate sets of road or rail wheels and characterized by a number of advantageous features which include: a novel spring supported floating axle that functions in a rail travel mode to enable the vehicle to travel at relatively high speeds compared to prior art rail traction vehicles adapted for both road and rail travel; a shock absorber system which functions in the rail travel mode to maintain the axle supporting springs in an active and functioning condition despite increased loads to the vehicle (such as, for example, are typified when the traction vehicle is in a weight transfer condition) by exerting a counteracting force to the support springs which at least partially offsets the spring depression induced by such increased loads; a hydraulic system which selectively deactivates the springs interposed between the differential axle and frame such as, for example, when the vehicle is operated in a road travel mode wherein it is supported wholly on road wheels which are driven by the engagement thereof with driving hubs mounted to the differential axle so as to maintain the rotational axes of the driven road wheels; a novel differential axle suspension system wherein a spring supported axle moves in a substantially vertical plane without lateral shifting; a unique coupler mounting arrangement which provides the coupler with shock absorbing capability and wherein the coupler is mounted to a coupler carriage which in turn is mounted to and rides along a lateral frame member of the vehicle which serves as a guideway for directing travel of the coupler carriage and coupler along a horizontal path and wherein the coupler itself is vertically movable with respect to the carriage whereby the coupler is provided with both horizontal and vertical straight line coupler travel across the ends of the vehicle affording maximized vehicle coupler extent and, accordingly, improved coupling engagement on curves irrespective of the lateral location and vertical elevation of the coupler; a rail wheel brake system which provides rail wheel brakes which are self-centering, self-adjusting and equipped with a brake shoe mounting arrangement wherein force transmission to the bearings during rail wheel braking is substantially reduced; and, a novel pivoting console and multiple rail operation driving station arrangement wherein the rail wheel mode operation gages and controls are able to be selectively positioned to afford the vehicle operator easy access thereto from the particular rail driving station which also affords the operator maximum visibility.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved weight transfer rail traction rail car moving vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved rail traction vehicle capable of traveling at increased speeds on railway track which vehicle includes rail wheels that are spring supported to the frame wherein the spring support for said rail wheels is maintained in an active and functioning condition even though the vehicle is under the influence of increased loading, such as, for example, the transfer of weight from a rail car coupled thereto. In this regard, an important object of the present invention is to provide a weight transfer rail traction vehicle having rail wheels which are spring supported to the frame and shock absorbers which are mounted between the rail wheels and frame wherein spring depression induced by the transfer of weight to said vehicle from a rail car coupled thereto is at least partially offset by applying a counteracting force to the spring support through the shock absorbers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a rail traction vehicle having a differential axle which can be optionally spring supported to the frame or maintained in a fixed relationship therewith.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a rail traction vehicle of the type adapted to be alternatively supported on road or rail wheels wherein the road wheels are driven by a driving hub, the rotational axis of which is in fixed relation with a differential axle, which vehicle is characterized by having said differential axle spring supported when the vehicle is driven on the rail wheels and in fixed relation with the frame when the vehicle is driven on the road wheels so that the rotational axes of the driven road wheel and road wheel driving hub are in fixed relation to each other. In this regard, an important object of the present invention is to provide a rail traction vehicle having a differential axle spring supported to the frame with a hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly interposed between the axle and frame wherein movement of the piston in the hydraulic cylinder can be selectively locked to maintain the differential axle in fixed relationship with the frame.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a weight transfer coupler mounting for a weight transfer rail traction vehicle wherein the coupler is able to absorb longitudinal shock forces imparted thereto with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle. In this regard, an important object of the present invention is to provide a weight transfer coupler mounted to a coupler carriage which coupler is movable in a fore and aft direction with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle wherein a resilient cushion is interposed between the coupler and frame to provide the coupler with improved shock absorbing capability.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved coupler mounting for a weight transfer rail traction vehicle, wherein the coupler is mounted to a coupler carriage supported by a horizontal vehicle frame member which serves as a guideway for the coupler carriage and along which the coupler carriage is selectively power driven or freely movable in a horizontal plane along a straight line path by a side-shift guide member fixed to the frame and wherein the coupler is also guided and powered for movement in a vertical direction with respect to the coupler carriage.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved brake system for vehicles which travel on rail wheels such as, for example, weight transfer rail car moving vehicles. In this regard, an important object of the present invention is to provide a novel rail wheel brake wherein the brake arm to which a pair of brake shoes are mounted has one end connected to a brake actuating means and the opposite end to a brake-action pivot point which is located for directing the brake arm through an arcuate path by which substantially simultaneous contact of the brake shoes with a braking surface which is in fixed rotational relationship to the rail wheel which is in operative association with the brake system is achieved.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved rail wheel brake system which includes dual brake shoes which are mounted to a brake arm in a spaced apart relationship to each other which minimizes the transfer of braking forces to the bearings in association with the rail wheel. In this regard, an important object of the present invention is to provide an improved brake system wherein first and second brake shoes engage a braking surface at respective locations at which one of the vertical and horizontal force components of the force on the braking surface created by the first brake shoe will be substantially cancelled by a corresponding but opposite direction force component of the force on the braking surface created by the second brake shoe.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a brake system for a vehicle which travels on rail wheels wherein the brake shoes are self-centering on the braking surface. In this regard, an important object of the present invention is to provide a rail wheel brake system which includes a brake arm connected to an actuating means at one end and to a brake-action pivot point at the opposite end which brake arm also includes a second pivot point located between the brake-action pivot point and the opposite end of the brake arm wherein the brake arm is preferentially pivotable about the brake-action pivot point as opposed to the second point, thereby resulting in the brake arm upon being actuated by the driving means pivoting in an arcuate path about the brake-action pivot point in a manner by which if one of the brake shoes on the brake arm should initially contact the braking surface before the other brake shoe, then the continued application of the actuating means to the brake arm will cause the brake arm portion between the actuating means and second pivot point to be rocked about the second pivot point until the other shoe is in contact with the braking surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved self-adjusting rail wheel brake.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a suspension system for a differential axle in a rail car moving vehicle adapted for travel on rail wheels which differential axle is spring supported to said frame for movement along a substantially vertical plane only without substantial, if any, lateral shifting thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a rail car moving vehicle adapted to be coupled to one or more rail cars at either or both ends of the vehicle wherein the operator of the vehicle during the travel thereof on rail tracks is able to selectively operate the vehicle through a single set of vehicle operation controls from a plurality of locations in a cab on the vehicle enabling such operator to position himself for maximum visibility irrespective of the direction of travel of the vehicle.